A sense of mattering to others is critically important for everyone—including college students. Why? Gregory Elliott, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology at Brown University, and expert on “mattering,” explained in a recent conversation.

Listen to the full interview below or read some excerpts from Elliott’s interview on why mattering is so vital for student success, particularly for populations who have trouble persisting in college, like minority students or first-generation scholars. All students go through a transition from high school to college, but those without a lot of cultural capital and resources find it even harder and are less likely to graduate if they don’t feel they or their education matter to anyone.